Darkness Ethereal | K.TH

Things Unforgettable

"Ah!"

A short, sharp scream escapes my lips as burning pain spreads from my shoulder towards my chest— a thick spiderweb of agony.

The cup I'd been holding slips from my fingers, shattering upon contact with the hard, cold ground.

It burns.

Tears sting my agonized eyes as I claw at my shoulder, gritting my teeth from the pain. I'd been so stupid— so distracted with V.

So distracted that I'd poured an entire cup of hot coffee on myself.

Not even bothering to take off my clothes, I dash to the washroom. My eyes blur with tears as I scrabble for the shower dial, cranking it all the way down to the cold water as soon as I feel the metallic handle.

The freezing water soon cascades down my face and body, reducing the blazing pain into occasional sharp tingles that made me wince.

I spend an eternity in there before I finally decide that the heat wouldn't come back.

Shutting off the cold douse of water, the first thing I do when I come out of the stall is to examine the damage the coffee had done.

I wince.

The skin is raw and bright red— with rivulets of blood around the outside edges. My disgust grows as I slide down the rest of my shirt, realizing that the burns had left severe marks down my chest.

I was never drinking coffee again.

Sighing, I gingerly change out of my soaked clothing. Even the slightest movement sent fire blazing up my body, and I was already positive my face was flushed a brighter red than the burned area.

Making sure that the shirt I'd changed into didn't expose the burns, I select a lunchbox from the pile I'd skipped eating today.

I'd completely lost my appetite ever since yesterday night, and now that I'd burned myself with the first type of food I'd tried to eat—

My appetite had gone down even lower than before.

Thoughts consumed with those of V and the last glimpse I'd gotten of him, I tenderly walk down the cold hallway. It seemed warmer today— but that was probably just the after effect of the burns.

Sighing at my miserable state, I reach his cell to find him already awake. The frustration from before was thankfully replaced with an emptiness— which I didn't know whether to interpret as a good or a bad sign.

"Here," I say in monotone without meaning to. My own lack of emotion surprises me, and I instantly paste a fake smile on my face when his eyes shift.

"Come closer."

I don't bother to conceal the shock that fills my eyes when he says that, but I obediently follow through. As soon as I'm within range, his hand flashes out and wraps around my upper arm.

"Ow!"

At my pained cry, he immediately withdraws his hand. My mouth knots into a grimace as I glare at him, wincing as the cloth rubs against the raw skin.

"What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with you?" He points at my shoulder, face direct and unconcerned. "Show me."

"V, I really can't deal with this right now," I say tiredly as a sudden wave of dizziness washes over me. I'd barely gotten sleep last night, and had skipped both dinner and breakfast.